Browsing by Author "Niamsap, Thanakorn"

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a new respiratory virus capable of transmitting between interspecies and has caused outbreaks in mink farms since April 2020. The infection in mink farms has been a concern due to the overcrowded mink population which allows viral transmission and mutation to rapidly develop. The development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for mink is needed to prevent an outbreak in mink farms. In this study, we tested the safety and efficacy of our SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in a mink model. Our vaccine tests reveal no side effects of the vaccine on vaccinated mink, of which 40 mg/dose was found to be the optimal dosage, and was used as a standard for the later infection experiments. Microneutralization tests indicated that the neutralizing antibodies from vaccinated mink can protect cells line against early 2020 dominant variants (Wuhan, and Alpha), but poorly against later dominant strains (Beta, and Delta). The vaccinated mink were further observed the changes in antibody levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the results suggested that the antibodies could be detected in sera samples of vaccinated subjects for at least 23 weeks after receiving two dosages of the vaccine. The presence of the virus was monitored in collected saliva samples throughout the infection days to study the effect of the vaccine on preventing the mink from SARS-CoV-2 infection by reverse transcription (RT)PCR. The quantification cycles (Cq) values were similar between vaccinated and non-vaccinated mink of both genders and between different gender, indicating that the vaccine could not help with preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although the vaccine does not protect the vaccinated mink from the infection, the monitoring of clinical signs suggested that it helps the mink by reducing the severity of the disease. In conclusion, the vaccine showed promising results in inducing the mink body to produce neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 and relieved the symptoms of the disease.